‘Tons of meetings have already happened’: Shroud teases Marvel Rivals esports plans

It’s been almost two months since the release of Marvel Rivals, and the game has not shown many signs of slowing down.

The free-to-play hero shooter by NetEase Games has had the gaming industry in a chokehold, both for gamers and streamers, and its player count has held steady. With seasonal releases including new heroes, limited time events, skins, and maps to come, the game’s future is looking bright. And it seems the esports community has also taken note. Former Counter-Strike pro and top streamer Shroud is at the forefront of Marvel Rivals, as he has been enjoying the game immensely and streaming it a lot over the past month or so. And according to him, he may also be at the forefront of the game’s foray into the competitive scene.

“I have tons of top orgs messaging me to try to figure out a way to get me in the Marvel Rivals space to build a team in Marvel Rivals,” he said in a clip taken from his stream this past weekend. “I’m not kidding. Tons of meetings have already happened. People have messaged my agency, people have messaged me. It’s gone around.”

Previously, Shroud had stated that if his Fragathon charity stream raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital reached a goal of $1 million, he would start his own esports organization and Rivals would be the first team it fielded. Esports organizations have been paying attention, apparently, and it could spell good news for the game’s competitive endeavors.

In the marathon, Shroud is donating $1 for every elimination he gets while playing, and 100 percent of revenue from subs, bits, and donations are going to St. Jude as well. Currently, the total money raised stands at over $324,000 and there are under two weeks left to go for the fundraiser. But, with the way things are looking, Shroud may start that Rivals organization whether the goal is reached or not.

“I don’t know if we’ll hit a million,” Shroud said. “Probably not… Anyway, the point of what I’m saying is, there’s a chance that [a Marvel Rivals team] might happen either way. We’ll see.”

Rivals seems like a natural fit for the competitive scene. NetEase already hosts in-game tournaments for cash prizes, and the game’s popularity is something that can easily be taken advantage of this early in its lifespan.

For Rivals to flourish as an esport, it may have to suffer through some of Overwatch‘s early growing pains, too. It’s no secret that the games are similar, and so are their issues, like visual clutter making for a very difficult viewer experience and balancing a roster of dozens of heroes to make the game fair.

Rivals already has 35 heroes, and with more than a dozen new ones already data mined in the files, the game will likely get more and more difficult to balance properly as the roster expands. But that’s for the future to figure out. Right now, Shroud and top esports organizations may be ready to spearhead whatever comes next.

For more on Shroud’s Fragathon, check out its website, and consider donating to the campaign on Tiltify.